Two teenagers charged for smashing windows of businesses at Christies Beach
Business owners and their customers are furious after an early morning rampage left several windows smashed. Two teenage boys have been charged, and police are searching for a third.
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Two teenage boys, including a 13-year-old who was out on bail, have allegedly smashed up more than a dozen businesses at Christies Beach.
The boys started their alleged rampage just after 1am on Tuesday on The Esplanade, where the front window of the Flava Cafe was smashed.
Owner Paul Player arrived at the scene after his shop’s alarms were set off.
“This is just out and out vandalism for no reason at all,” he said
“Why? It’s just absolutely senseless. Where are the parents?”
As he arrived, Mr Player said he saw several other youths running along The Esplanade in the early hours of the morning.
“When they were down here, there were about another six or eight kids coming from up the beach,” he said.
“One mother came down to pick up a daughter, who was screaming and carrying on at 2am, it was just crazy here.”
The boys also allegedly smashed a glass table outside the nearby Blue C Bistro on Beach Road, as well as scores of other businesses along the popular shopping strip.
Devastated owner Kam Ng Shung said this was third attack on his eatery in just two weeks.
On Sunday night, one of his windows was smashed in a separate incident.
Manager Martin Orchard said he was “shocked and disappointed” to hear a 13-year-old boy was allegedly involved in the early-morning rampage.
“The good thing is, the (Christies Beach) community has been great, they’ve come in here and had coffees and said ‘this is not good enough’.”
A 16-year-old boy from Seacombe Gardens was charged with property damage and graffiti, while a 13-year-old Elizabeth Downs boy was charged with breach of bail. Both will appear in the Christies Beach Youth Court in November.
Police are searching for a third person believed to be involved in the overnight crime spree.
Christies Beach Business and Tourism Association chairwoman Reyes Beard was upset to hear of the attacks, calling it a “shameful act”.
“On the back of COVID, businesses are struggling and have been through enough already without senseless acts of vandalism happening,” she said.
“The community really needs to get behind local businesses and show extra support, definitely not doing ridiculous things like this.”